OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper has lauded him as “a beacon of humanitarianism, of pluralism and of tolerance throughout the world,” and on Thursday the Aga Khan will be given the rare privilege of addressing Parliament.
But what do Canadians really know about the Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the world’s 15 million Ismaili Muslims and a respected philanthropist, who also just so happens to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars and enjoys a jet-setter’s lifestyle?
Thursday’s speech will be the latest in a string of Canadian honours already bestowed upon the religious leader, including the Order of Canada, honorary degrees from five universities, and the granting of honorary Canadian citizenship in 2009.
Canada also has emerged as a key partner for the Aga Khan’s philanthropic work in the developing world, pumping tens of millions of dollars into his Aga Khan Development Network, which focuses on countries with large Muslim populations in Africa and Asia.
Despite the fact the Aga Khan does not govern a country, but is instead the spiritual head of the world’s moderate Ismaili Muslim sect, thousands of whom live in Canada, a de facto embassy was allowed to be opened on prime real estate in Ottawa in 2008.
via Spiritual leader Aga Khan to address Parliament on Thursday | canada.com.
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